Process of burning hydrocarbon oil



(No Model.)

p0. L. HBVERIN. PROCESS 0E' BURNING HYDROGARBON OIL. No. 402,242.

Patented Apr. 301889.

UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

CHARLES L. HEVERIN, OF PHILADELPHIA, PENNSYLVANIA.

PROCESS OF BURNING HYDROCARBON OIL.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 402,242, dated April30, 1889.

Application filed December 5, 1887. Serial No. 257,038. (No model.)

To all 071.07111 it may concern Be it known that I, CHARLES L. HEVEEIN,a citizen of the United States, residing at Philadelphia, in the countyof Philadelphia and State of Pennsylvania, have invented certain new anduseful Improvements in the Process of Burning Hydrocarbon Oils, of whichthe following is a specification.

This invention relates to the generation of heat by the combustion ofliquid hydrocarbons; and it consists in a method or'process ofgenerating heat, which consists in saturating a quantity of comminutedor fibrous refractory material with two liquids--one a hydrocarbon andthe other a fluid-Which will When decomposed yield oxygen, whereby boththe hydrocarbon and the liquid (such as water) yielding oxygen are inintimate contact or close juxtaposition to each other at such f time asthey are converted into the gases which go to support the combustion, sothat when they reach the place of ignition they are thoroughlycommingled,vthereby rendering the combustion more complete and the heatproduced more uniform and intense.

In hydrocarbon-burners as heretofore constructed it has been common tosaturate comminuted and fibrous material with hydrocar# bons Which areburned at the surface of said material and to inject steam into theiiame of the burning hydrocarbon to aid the combustion thereof, This isobjectionable because of the cooling action of the steam upon the ame,inasmuch as it is impossible to secure an intimate admixture of theparticles of steam with the particles of hydrocarbon gas before theytake the form of flame, the result being that a portion of the carbon ischilled into smoke or solid carbon and the heating effects are to acertain extent lost.

By the process of operation hereinbefore referredto, and whichconstitutes the subjectmatterof this invention, the liquid whichsupplies the oxygen-for instance, the water-is taken up in smallparticles mechanically with the hydrocarbon to the surface of theabsorbing material and is in contact with the hydrocarbon at the momentit 4is converted into gas by the heat and is vaporized at the same time,so that there are, so to speak, minute partiticles of aqueous vapor injuxtaposition to each minute particle of vaporized hydrocarbon beforeand at'the time the ignition takes place, so that there is not only athorough decomposition of the hydrocarbon, but also of the steam,resulting in supplying to the flame the oxygen required to supportcombustion and also a portion of hydrogen, which is also consumed andadds to the intensity of the ame.

A better understanding of the improved method constituting my inventionWill be had by the description and illustration of an apparatus by whichit may be practically carried out, and I have illustrated in the drawingan apparatus adapted therefor, and which forms the subject-matter ofanother application of mine tiled April 5, 1887, Serial No. 233,77 9.

Referring to such drawing, Which is a sectional elevation of theapparatus, A designates the burner, adapted to contain a quantity ofrefractory material, B, such as asbestus, mineral Wool, fire-clay, orsand.

C represents a hydrocarbon-reservoir, and D a tank for containing theWater or other iiuid, which Will Whenhighly heated and decomposed yieldoxygen to the burning hydrocarbon.

The burner consists of a slightly-tapering' vessel having, preferably, aremovable cap or cover, a, and a neck for connection with theliquid-supply pipes. The walls of the burner are provided withperforations, through which the vapor generated in the burner passes tobe burned upon the outside of the burner.

. F designates asupply-pipe leading from the hydrocarbon-reservoir tothe bottom of the burner, While d represents a supply pipe, Which inthis instance surrounds the supplypipe F, also leading into the bottomof the burner and conducting the oxygen-yielding liquid thereto.

It Will thus be seen that liquid hydrocarbon and water or other fuelhaving an oxygen supply will be fed simultaneously to the burner in anysuitable manner, it being obvious that the connections for andregulating devices in the supply-pipe may be varied in many particulars.

The operation of the apparatus thus described will be as follows: Thereservoir C IOO having been supplied with a suitable quantity ofhydrocarbon and the tank D with water, the water from the tank will beallowed to pass through pipe d into the bottom of the reservoir C andwill tend to force the liquid hydrocarbon upward into the pipe F. Thevalves of the supply-pipes F and d being 110W open, the liquidhydrocarbon will pass into the burner, saturating the material, B,therein, while the water, rising by pipe (Z from the bottom of thereservoir C, will also pass into the bottom of the burner where it willbe diffused by the refractory material. rlhe two liquids entering theburner at nearly the same points, and at the lower part thereof, will becaused to intimately commingle as they are diused by the refractorymaterial, so that by the time they are sufficiently heated for thepurpose of ignition the commingling of the gases will be practicallyperfect.

It will be understood that the flame will completely envelop the burner,and thereby intensely heat the same, converting the liquids into vaporand decomposing them preparatory to their issuing from the orifices inthe sides of the burner.

As the hydrocarbon and water are consumed they will be constantlyreplaced by liquids forced through the supply-pipes in such manner as tokeep the material B more or less saturated therewith. The amount ofliquid hydrocarbon and water or other suitable liquid permitted to passto the burner may of course be controlled in any desired manner, and Ido not wish to be limited in the use of my invention to the apparatuswhich I have shown herein, as it will be understood that it may be usedin connection with many forms of devices.

While water preferably is used to supply oxygen to the burninghydrocarbon, I do not wish to be limited thereto, as I may employ anysuitable liquid, or even vapor, which, when decomposed in the presenceof heat, will yield oxygen.

Having thus described my invention, what I claim, and desire to secureby Letters Patent, 1s-

The herein-described method or process of generating heat, whichconsists of saturating a quantity of comminuted refractory material withtwo liquids, one a hydrocarbon and the other a liquid which, whendecomposed, will yield oxygen, conducting said liquids intermingled eachin a diffused state outward from the body to the surface of therefractory material, and burning the same at the surface of thematerial, substantially as described.

In testimony whereof I have signed my name to this specification in thepresence of two subscribing witnesses.

CIIARL )S L. HEVERIN.

litnessesz WM. S. DARLINGTON, F. L. FREEMAN.

